Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Gov. JB Pritzker will decide whether to sign a bill which its sponsor says merely codifies what is accepted practice in Illinois: allowing minors to obtain a prescription for birth control pills without their parents’ knowledge.
Under questioning from State Rep. Bill Hauter (R-Morton), State Rep. Dagmara “Dee” Avelar (pictured) (D-Bolingbrook) confirmed the bill covers mifepristone, an abortion drug. “The American Academy of Pediatrics considers contraception a pillar in reducing adolescent pregnancy rates, and it encourages pediatricians to adopt practices that would help reduce unintended pregnancies among adolescents.”
State Rep. Travis Weaver (R-Peoria) sees nothing good about the bill. “Women across this nation, women that I care about, women in this room struggle to get pregnant because they get put on birth control when they’re fourteen years old, and it challenges their pregnancies for the rest of their lives,” said Weaver. “Now what we are allowing is a 14-year-old to make this decision without Mom or Dad consenting.”
The bill has passed the House, 73-38, and the Senate, 37-19, and awaits the governor’s action.
